Life in Vibrant Color: Bleach OneShot Collection
by Torisutan-sama
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots written for various topics, and each story will range from a T rating to an M rating. Lemons eventually. I will update regularly, at least twice per month. Rating currently at T for viewership purposes.


﻿"Ichigo? What's a... Hal-ho-weenie?"

Rukia and Ichigo were lounging in their room, finishing homework. Or, in Rukia's case, reading manga and filling out weekly magazine quizzes like: "What Your Costume Says About You!", and "Trick or Treat: Which Will You Do?"

Ichigo cocked his head to the side as he leaned away from the desk. A dull look graced his face.

"You're freakin' kidding, right?" he asked. He found it hard to believe that a shinigami, the second most popular costume for kids (behind Power Rangers), didn't know what Halloween was. He closed his eyes and rattled off a brief description, hoping she would just accept it and stop bugging him. "Halloween is when kids get dressed up as monsters and other things and go door to door asking for candy. That's it. Okay, midget?

Next thing he knew, a sharp pain accompanied his own howl of pain as a small foot connected with his shin.

"OW DAMMIT! What the hell was that for?!" he yelped, hopping in pain. Rukia only scowled, no pity forthcoming.

"That's for calling me a midget, baka. I keep telling you not to insult my height, and yet you foolishly continue. When will you learn, Strawberry?"

The bright haired teen snorted a laugh. "Yeah right, like I've ever listened to you. It's just too damned hard to hear you when I'm way up here!"

The beatings continued until Isshin interrupted, shouting "Oh my lovely son and third daughter! I hope you two are using protectiooooonnnnn!" through the bedroom door. The two stopped bickering and immediately turned their heads away from each other in a huff.

"Well, anyways, I just wanted to know what Halloweenie was. So thanks," Rukia stated without turning around.

Ichigo grunted.

Turning back, Rukia had a curious look. "Ichigo? What are we going to dress as for treat-or-tricking?" she asked.

"Trick-or-treating, dumbass," he began as he twisted to face her. "And I told ya, it's for little brats. And you-" he paused, a smirk growing on his face, "-are just perfect for it. Brat."

A vein pulsed on Rukia's forehead, but Ichigo continued.

"I can dress up as a street musician, and you can dress up as the little monkey I carry around!" he teased.

She threw her shoe at his stupid orange head and stood up. Fuming, she glared at him before suddenly smiling. The rapid switch didn't escape Ichigo's attention and he quickly backed away, knowing something bad was about to happen. He didn't get far enough away though, because he suddenly felt something restricting his movements, a feeling he remembered from that first night they met. Damn.

"Bakudo number one! Sai!" Rukia said with a wave of her hand. Smirking triumphantly, she stood over Ichigo, a warning look flashing through her eyes.

"Huh," he started, his face pressed to the floor. "I think I know what you should go as."

"Oh? And what's that, Strawberry?"

"A witch!"

###################################################

It was Halloween evening, and the Kurosaki household was bustling with activity as Isshin and the twins prepared their "Annual Kurosaki Kreep-show!" as Isshin called it. Jack-o-lanterns glowed with eerie (Karin), cute (Yuzu), goofy (Isshin), and Chappy (Rukia, who else?) designs on their sides. Ichigo hadn't made a Jack-o-lantern cuz that was "kid stuff". That hadn't stopped him from eating the roast pumpkin seeds they got later though, he wasn't gonna pass up food.

The twins had gone all out with their costumes, almost getting professional cosplay quality out of assorted materials from home. Karin was going as Motoko Aiyama, from the manga "Love Hina" because she liked the tough girl image, and Yuzu was going as a Sailor from Sailor Moon because she liked feeling like a princess. They were both rearing to go by the door, their pillowcases waiting to be filled by mountains of candy. Karin had a grin on her face like Ichimaru, and Yuzu was dancing on her tip-toes in anticipation. "Hurry up, Ichi-nee! I wanna get as much candy as I can before old goat-chin makes us do his stupid show!" Karin shouted up the stairs.

Ichigo was busy trying to zip up his outfit. He'd chosen a full-body skeleton costume because he wanted to at least look scary if he was gonna be doing all this kid stuff. Long faintly glowing bones ran down the fabric, perfectly mimicing his own skeleton. "Huh, makes me like a western god of death, sorta. Right, Rukia?" he asked the girl to his left.

Rukia tapped her foot impatiently, she was also eager to get the mountain of candy. Living souls really knew how to make the best candy and food, she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to get it for free. She had taken Ichigo's advice and gone as a witch (she really didn't get what he thought was so funny about it, she thought it looked cute) with a broomstick in one hand and a Jack-o-lantern bowl for candy in the other. Standing in her outfit she looked every bit as old as Karin and Yuzu, right down to the impatient motions she was making.

Ichigo just laughed. She could be such a brat sometimes. "Fine, fine, midget, head on down and I'll meet you there in a sec, I gotta get the mask on anyways."

Muttering curses about strawberries who were too tall for their own good, Rukia joined the twins by the door, who had been roped by Isshin into placing more and more fake cobwebs around the entrance to their home.

"Yes! Rukia's here! Now if only a STUPID IDIOT BROTHER OF OURS WOULD HURRY UP, we'd be gettin' candy already!" complained Karin.

A voice shot back, "Fine, Karin, you want to go so bad? Rukia can watch you two, I'm having some trouble with this stupid mask, I'll just catch up to you later, alright?"

"Really?! YES! Rukia, Yuzu, let's go get some free candy!" Karin yelled as she ran out the door, the other two girls in tow. Upstairs, Ichigo smiled. His plan had worked. He climbed out the window and moved through back yards to get ahead of the girls, stopping behind a house he knew had a bench and a strobe light in the entryway. Sneaking around to the front, lounged on the bench, doing his best impression of a fake skeleton by staying completely still. Focusing as hard as he could, he minimized his reiatsu so Rukia wouldn't be able to sense him.

Meanwhile, Rukia and the twins had already half filled their pillowcases, all king size candy too! They saw another house across the street they hadn't hit yet, so they ran over, Karin in the lead. Slowing as she neared the house, she marveled at the front entryway. Dark paint hid massive swaths of fake cobwebs, and a strobe light flickered intermittently, along with the sound of thunder and a fog machine. The girls looked at eachother. Rukia could tell the other two were scared, so she played the role of the brave older sister and offered to get the candy for all of them.

Ichigo, who heard this, swore into his teeth. Without his sisters there he couldn't scare Rukia! She'd kill him! At least with witnesses he'd have a shot...

Rukia crept up towards the door, passing numerous "rats" and "bats", and hundreds of little "spiders". A skeleton was draped over the bench, it's bones glowing slightly. She got to the door and knocked quickly, then waited. And waited. And waited. Finally she knocked again, this time louder. Where were these stupid people? Who decorates for Halloween and doesn't give out candy?

"They're not home right now," a twisted voice whispered into her ear from inches away. Screaming, she turned and threw her arm out to hit the crazy... stalker, guy!

"Augh! What the hell, midget! Can't ya take a joke?" shouted a pained but familiar voice.

Rukia cocked her head, realization dawning. "Ichigo?"

A shock of orange hair appeared as he pulled the mask down, confirming her suspicion. "Yeah, now why'd ya hit me?!"

She huffed, "Well if you weren't such a big weenie I wouldn't have been scared!"

He laughed and put a hand on her head. "Hey Rukia, I did it so you'd get a normal Halloween experience," he explained. "So cheer up! Besides, I didn't even use the fake blood pump."

"Easy for you to say, you big idiot!" she said, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

They stood in the entryway still, Yuzu and Karin waiting by the sidewalk, unable to tell what was happening at the house. Ichigo cleared his throat. "So hey, Rukia."

She looked up, she'd been enjoying the little moment he'd given her, the real Halloween she'd never had. "Yes, Ichigo?" she asked.

He gave a big smile, a genuine smile, and he said the words that completed the evening for her: "Happy Halloween."


End file.
